TBR Chauffeurs

TBR Global chauffeurs are experienced drivers with a full dedication for their work and passionate about what they do. At TBR we believe that the chauffeurs work not only consists of driving clients to their destinations but making their journey as pleasant as possible.

TBR drivers are used to working for a high luxury brand so their image and attitude is always in line with the circumstances, always knowing how to manage problems or unexpected situations when needed.

TBR Global provide an outstanding customer service and we continuously monitor this through a rigorous chauffeurs’ selection process and on going training. Even special security training is provided for those that work in the areas with potential conflicts or who drive passengers with special security needs.

Quality Control

Our control system and daily monitoring allows us to check that our chauffeurs meet our policies in every service. Those rules are related to punctuality and schedules or specific customer needs for each service. Furthermore, our drivers are in constant communication with the offices by phone and mobile apps.

Finally, our feedback system enables customers to give their opinion about the service and their driver quickly and effectively.

At TBR Global we are proud that our drivers’ feedbacks are very positive and exceed all expectations, placing TBR Global as an industry leader in ground transportation.

China to Be the Largest Business Travel Market Worldwide in 2016

GBTA expects China to continue to grow its domestic business travel market much more rapidly than the other countries in the world with estimated spending growth of 14.2% in 2015 and 12.1% in 2016. China is poised to overtake the U.S. as the number one business travel market in the world.

According to the report of GBTA, China is to surpass the U.S. in spending by 2017 considering their current and estimated growth in business travel market.

China’s economic growth projections in the near term remain robust, which bode well for a strong business travel market, growing more rapidly than the other major markets globally,

said Stanford Lin, Vice President and Head of Products at Visa China.

Visa is committed to working with financial institutions and merchant partners to offer value-add benefits that help companies and business travelers better manage their travel expenses.

Outbound tourism is popular among Chinese travelers. Some European airlines promote cheap tickets to attract travelers to Europe according to CNN’s report.

Japan has also added some special travel trains with delicious food supply to attract travelers. Besides, Japan’s luxury train can provide luxury goods and food to stimulate travelers’ consumption home and abroad according to Nikkei Asian Review. Shoppers from China spent 18% more on Tax Free Shopping in 2014 compared to 2013 according to Global Blue.

Australia is the top luxury travel destination, followed by France. Maldives shoots into third place. UK back into the Top 10.

China has been the largest market for Germany’s domestic travel in Asian. During Chinese year period, German’s merchants promoted various events to attract Chinese travelers. See more about Chinese New Year Traveler Insights here.

Oxford research report shows China and other new markets will promote global travel industry into a prosperous stage in 10 years.

Read more: http://www.chinainternetwatch.com/12920/largest-business-travel-market-worldwide-2016/#ixzz3XqDJtRKV

The People Awards 2015

TBR Global are delighted to announce that our EMEA Managing Director Craig Chambers has been shortlisted in The People Awards 2015 for Rising Star.

This Rising Star Award recognises an outstanding individual from any sector of the business travel industry who is under 35 years of age and has demonstrated a desire to develop into a business leader of the future through excellence in and a fresh approach to their role

The Awards Ceremony takes place on Friday May 22nd at the Park Plaza.  We will keep you up to date on our social media.

Well done Craig!

He wouldn't be Head of Events without a good story

Michael Head of Events has gone through several iterations himself, having joined the company on the ground floor as a controller and moved through the ranks to Head of Events.  This life-long relationship with the firm means he’s intimately familiar with our ethos of putting the client and quality first and foremost. 

As well as making sure his team are running at peak efficiency, Michael doubles as a project manager, able to run the most complex of events. It’s a 24/7 responsibility, a fact amply demonstrated as during our conversation he’s pulled away to take a call from a client regarding an event running that day in Berlin.

As well as that event, the client being a major international bank, he’s simultaneously working on a global financial institution’s board meeting in Dublin, as well as reviewing the first manifest that has arrived for The Masters. Michael said: “I’m very hands on. I’ve been here for ten years now. I started as a controller and worked all the way up. Events coordinator, events manager, project manager.  “It sets a good example to everyone in the team if they see me working hard and how specific I am on the finer points of an event, that they can use that as a measuring stick of what they are expected to do and how hard they’re expected to work. “The fact that I’ve worked on every level rather than be parachuted in means I understand intimately the roles of the people I manage.

“I would say one word for the company is quality, whether that’s quality of service, quality of vehicle, quality of staff. It’s the main focus for me, the number one driver.”

A good example of this commitment to excellence can be seen in what Michael describes as his most enjoyable event with TBR Global, covering the 2008 Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi. 

Despatched to the UAE a week in advance by CEO Michael O’Hare - who wisely anticipated issues - he and project manager Kern Jennings were left playing a game of hunt-the-Mercedes with the local supplier. He explained: “Our clients’ requirement was to have eight Mercedes in place, which we thought we had sorted out. “Michael though knew better thanks to his experience and told us to get out there a week in advance, we said, no we don’t need to, he said, no there WILL be problems. “So we set up a date to view the cars, we get told it it’s not possible, we set up a second one and end up standing around in an underground car park for four hours - no cars turn up.“We speak to the local supplier to tell him we’ve had enough, bring the cars to the hotel. 

“On the third day one car turns up but it’s a souped up Mercedes S Class with 22 inch alloys and fibe glass, not what we want for corporate clients. “We went crazy at the supplier and he takes us somewhere he thinks he has S-classes - they were all BMWs, we go to a second place, all 7 series. “We go to a third place, it’s STILL all BMWS. At that point I kind of lost the plot and flexed our muscles in terms of what our contract allowed us to do.  

“The next day the supplier picks us up and starts driving us to the desert, we’re in the back of the car, Kerr and I, looking at one another thinking, where on earth are we going? 

“We end up in the biggest unit in the middle of nowhere, we drive into it and there must have been 300 BMW 7 series. I’m despairing at this point, but the supplier say, don’t worry.

“We drive right up to the back and there are eight S-classes with TBR number plates. 

“It was an ordeal to say the least, but we ended up having a bit of time to enjoy the sights of Abu Dhabi, and the hotel pool!”

With an uncle as CEO, and his mother managing director for TBR Global’s American operations, Michael has grown up alongside the phenomenal expansion of the company.
But looking back now, is he surprised that the firm has managed to grow over such a relatively short period of time?  “Not really. Knowing my uncle and how driven he is I realised he was always going to make it what it is today,” he said.  “I’d say I’ve been held to a higher standard because of the family connection, but it’s installed a work ethic in me that I would say is my best quality. “I don’t see myself being anywhere else in my career. I’m here, I want to progress further and see how far I can get. “Certainly the opportunities are here for all of our staff, you just need to take them by showing you can do it.”

To find out more about joining TBR Global, click here.

French air traffic strike prompts hundreds of cancellations

The SNCTA union has called the strike for today and Thursday in a dispute over working conditions and raising of the retirement age for air traffic controllers by two years to 59.

The DGAC civil aviation authority has asked airlines to cut their schedules for flights to and from France on Wednesday by 40%.  Short-haul flights are expected to be worst affected.  "Disruption is expected over the whole country," the DGAC said in a statement.  Travellers have been advised to contact their airline.

TBR Global controllers will be made aware of any flight changes or cancellations through our platform "MY TBR" so all TBR bookings will still run smoothly. 

Further action is planned between 16-18 April and 29 April-2 May.

Third generation of the O'Hare family and Head of Events

AT TBR Global one of our most important resources is our people. We strive to to make our company a great place to work and create team spirit. But for some of our staff, TBR Global isn’t just a team game, but a family affair. Head of Events Michael Savage is the third generation of the O’Hare family to work for the company and has witnessed its every incarnation, from its early days as Charlton Chauffeur Drive, to its current worldwide reach. 

Name: Michael Savage 

Age: 30 

Job Title: Head of Events 

Favourite TBR vehicle: Mercedes S400 Hybrid 

As Head of Events for TBR Global, Michael Savage leads a multi-national team based across the world speaking half-a-dozen languages. It’s perhaps appropriate then, that upon first conversing with the 30-year-old it quickly becomes apparent Scotland is not the land of his birth. Born in Papua New Guinea before moving back to his parents’ homeland at the age of six, the Glasgow resident has been left with a unique twang that’s difficult to identify - but that he reckons facilitates global communication.

Laughing, he explains: “It’s been called Australian, it’s been called Irish, it’s been called American, I think it’s been called pretty much everything at one point. 

“Considering I’ve now lived in Scotland for more than two decades, I’d like to think the Scottish is creeping in a bit more, but it’s an interesting one.  “I notice the accent fluctuates depending on what nationality I’m speaking to. While TBR is headquartered here in Scotland, as the name suggests we operate on a truly global scale, so if I’m talking to someone in America, there’s a bit of a chameleon effect voice-wise which, psychology-wise, gives you a common ground I guess.”

But when it comes to common ground between his geographically disparate staff, one thing stands out - a commitment to quality and efficiency for their clients. Michael’s role is to take a strategic overview of the seven-strong team that are responsible for providing flawlessly managed ground transport for everything from product launches and major sporting events, to awards ceremonies and conferences. Working with a wide variety of sectors, including pharmaceutical, aviation, financial, media and entertainment, the department has grown by leaps and bounds.

Father-of-one Michael said: “Five years ago we were based around large events happening at specific times of the year. Last year we had a 90 per cent growth within the events team, this year we’re aiming for 60 per cent. The main difference is we were getting our name out there by doing these large events - the MTV Awards, Champions League, Brit Awards - and now that work is very much still there, but that’s not the regular work.  “I see that as being the cream. We’re targeting the smaller events that happen regularly so that we can maintain the same staffing levels throughout the year. “It’s targeting these companies that have conferences. Glasgow is great, because we now have the auditorium, the Commonwealth Games helped the city’s profile, and there are lots of pharma conferences that come here.”

With superlatively-trained and motivated staff able to handle everything from transfer work to managing all transport for complex events start to finish, he’s confident they’ll smash their ambitious growth target. 

But despite the team’s zeal for their work, Michael confides there’s still time for some office banter.  He said: “It’s a great team I have great confidence in. There may be laughs, but Michael is more than serious when it comes to delivering the best quality service to clients. 

A typical day starts at 7am running through yesterday’s requirements and ensuring all clients are getting a response within 15 minutes. This speedy reply isn’t just a matter of courtesy however, but a form of quality control to check the time frame the client requires a quote within. On top of that TBR go above and beyond when it comes to supplying information to the client, as Michael explains.  “We might get an email from a client asking for a price for a business class vehicle in Paris, an airport transfer and a four hour requirement," he said.

“We’ll supply them with the info they want, plus the price for a full day, the departure back, an evening hire and the additional hour in case they go outside the four or eight hour requirement. “We do this as we are used to client asking for information they want, then coming back for a little more, then a little more. “It is better time management, as well as providing the client with more than the information they need. If they indicated they need a 49-seater coach thinking they can only have that size, then we’ll give them a costing for a range of coaches in case, say, they only need 39.”

TBC